The Viking absolutely loves his cured meats. If left to his own devices he'll eat prosciutto, speck, sopressata, and bresaola by the fistful, munching a saucisson down to the nub for an encore. Watching him return from a Saturday morning bike ride and set upon a few containers of the stuff is really a site to see. He can slurp slices of it down almost like oysters, alternating sheets of cured meat with gulps of a double espresso, barely even stopping to chew. It's like watching a python devour its prey.
And, like the python owner dutifully visiting the pet store for a fresh supply of white mice, so too do I traipse up to the salumi shop every so often to replenish The Viking's cache of cured meats (to be fair, I eat and like them too, they just don't have quite the same primal hold over me that they do him).
Our favorite place to go is Salumeria Rosi on the Upper West Side, which in addition to being a primo source of meats and cheeses is also a damned fine little restaurant. The shop has about 15 seats and a shoe-box of a kitchen from which Cesare Casella, its chef and owner, serves a limited menu of Northern Italian dishes.
We washed up at the Salumeria at the end of last week feeling the way one does on a Friday evening: world-weary and badly in need of a glass of wine. We ordered some of our usual dishes, cavoloni con prosciutto, insalata pontormo, manzo di lucca, but my favorite thing that night was a special -- farro with asparagus, basil, and parsley. It struck that rare and precious balance of feeling indulgent and comforting without being heavy. The flavors were fresh and grassy, the firm grains of farro and taute little disks of asparagus held together in a lightly creamy, cheesy sauce.
Best of all, it seemed like something that I could reasonably expect to recreate at home. I tried to do exactly that on Monday night and served the finished product alongside sea bass. Mine was significantly less creamy (in retrospect I could have cooked the farro risotto-style rather than simmering it in water, which would have helped the creamy factor) but the flavors were there. It not only made a great side dish that night, but we had loads of leftovers that have reheated well for lunches. This whole week I can't help but think about just how wildly underappreciated farro really is: it's like barley only better, yet it has been relegated to second class citizenship while brown rice and quinoa inexplicably get all the attention. If you see farro while you're out shopping (you might have some luck at your local Wholefoods), pick it up and give it a try.
Farro with Asparagus, Basil, and Parsley
Inspired by Salumeria Rosi
Serves 6
1 large or two small shallots, minced
1 bunch asparagus
1 tbsp chopped parsley
3 tbsp chopped basil
3 tbsp butter
1/2 c olive oil
1 lb farro
2 c grated Parmesan
1. Soak farro in cold water and let sit for 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, trim and peel asparagus, then thinly slice into 1/8" rounds
3. Drain farro, then transfer to large pot with 2 quarts water; bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes.
4. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat until it foams.
5. Add shallots and let soften, 2-3 minutes.
6. Add asparagus, kosher salt, and pepper, stir to coat, and cook for 3 minutes more; remove from heat (asparagus should still have some bite).
8. Drain farro then add in olive oil, Parmesan, asparagus, and herbs; add salt and pepper to taste.
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